Internal-combustion engine



A. M. PATTON.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

I APPLICATION FILED APR-18, 1918. 1,346,672.

Patented July 13, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. M. PATTON. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18, I918.

Patented July 13, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wif'rzaswes:

A. M. PATTON.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1918.

Patented July 13, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER MARCUS PATTON, 0F BELFAST, IRELAND, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES I-IU'RS'I. LIMITED, OF BELFAST, IRELAND.

Application filed April 18,

' common central axis which is also the axis of the driven shaft, the reciprocatory motion of the pistons in the cylinders beingtranslated into the rotary motion of the driven shaft by means of stroke plates, or equivalent, connected With the pistons and arranged diagonally or at an angle, to the axis of the shaft. In engines of the above class the stroke plates are connected by rods and universal joints to oppositely acting pistons in the cylinders and they are suitably held against rotation andbetween thrust flanges or rings, or equivalent, connected with the driven shaft. In engines with cylinders arranged in a circle and each containing a single piston, it has been proposed to move the stroke plate, or its equivalent, axially to vary the stroke of the pistons andthe compression in the cylinders, and use a central rotary valve for controlling the motive fluid supplied to the cylinders, and in such engines it has been proposed to vary the inclination-of the stroke plate without moving it axially.

Under my invention the stroke plates are made axially movable on the driven shaft for the purpose of varying the stroke of the pistons and they are also made capable of variable angularity relatively thereto. The power stroke of the pistons in the cylinders is so'timed that the pistons act on the stroke plate in the same direction around the stroke plate and the resistance presented by the stroke plate causes the pressure, behind the ,pistons, to react on the thrustrings or flanges of the driven shaft so as to cause same to move in the line of least resistance which is in the regular plane of rotation.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13,1920.

1918. Serial No. 229,409.

distributing valve supplying all the cylinders of a group the pistons of the cylinders having, each, a rod connected with the conversion disk, or stroke plate, and each alternate cylinder being used as a pump in the known manner. 7

By using cylinders each having two op-- positely acting pistons therein, as above described, it is possible to arrange the inlet and exhaust ports so as to obtain practically complete scavenging of the cylinders.

In the two stroke type of engine, as above described, I provide means whereby the stroke of the stroke plates, may be varied by making the angle of inclination to the shaft controllable, in accordance with this invention, and thus making it possible to vary the stroke of the pistons. In this case the stroke plates would also require to be correspondingly moved along the shaft with regard to the cylinders in order to obtain the require compression space.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood I have hereunto appended explanatory drawings showing, byway of illustration or example, an internal combustion engine constructed and adapted to be operated in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a double acting internal combustion engine operating the driven shaft throu h the medium of two stroke plates and tie stroke plates are shown in position to give almost the maximum stroke of the pistons. In this view the central valve is removed in order to more clearly show the cylinder ports.

Fig. 2 shows in the upper part, a half cross section on the line 1, 1, Fig. 1 while the lowerpart shows a half end elevation on the line 2, 2, Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is a half cross section on the line 3, 3, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a 4, 4, Fig. 1. I

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation similar to Fig. 1 but showing the central valve in position. Inthe upper half of this View the valve is shown in section and, in the lower half, the valve' is shown in elevation. In this view the stroke plates are shown in the position at which a minimum stroke of the pistons is obtained.

Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 5,-5,

Fig. 5, the pistons f being omitted therefrom. r

Fig. 7 is an elevation looking along the axis of the stroke plate and thrust rings.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings I have shown an engine with seven cylinders a arranged in parallel at equal distanees from each other and uniformly disposed in a circle around a central shaft 5. On the shaft 6 a rotary self-seating, conical valve 03 is shown having suitable inlet and exhaust ports therein as shown at d to d Figs. 5 and 6 and communicating by cylinder ports a to a (see Fig. 6) ,with cylinders a at a point midway between the pistons f, f, therein.

Within, each cylinder are two pistons f oneof which isconnected to a piston rod 7 and the other to a piston rod 7. The rods f are at their outer ends connected with the stroke plate 9 at one end of the engine while the rods f at their outer ends are connected with the stroke plate 9 at the other end of the engine.

Preferably the piston rods 7 and f are universally jointed, having spherical outer ends f" which work in socket bearings 9 formed on the periphery of the stroke plates 9 and g. The stroke plates "are each mounted between thrust rings or flanges h and k connected with the shaft 1) so as to be turnable therewith but capable of relative angular movement or oscillation and also axially movable relatively thereto, being supported in a carrier u pivotally connected by the pivot pins u (see also Fig. 7) to slidable sleeves Z and Z on the shaft 5. The stroke plates 9 and g are also capable of oscillation but are held against rotation by jointed arms r suitably connected therewith and supported by or from the engine casing. The sleeves Z and Z are slidably supported on the shaft 6 but they are not turnable relatively thereto, being, in one case, held against any relative rotation by feathers Z in grooves 72 and, in the other case, by feathers Z in grooves 12 and, in order to effect axial movements of the sleeves Z and Z for the purpose hereinafter specified," a spindle m is provided concentrically within the shaft 6 having left and right hand screw threaded portions m and m whichengage the feathers Z and Z so that, when the spindle m is turned the sleeves Z and Z are caused to travel toward or away from each other and thus effect the desired movement of the rings k and k and stroke plates 9' and g relatively to the cylinders a, to increase, or decrease, the stroke of the pistons. Suitable means would be provided outside the engine casing for turning the spindle m. Between the stroke plates 9 and g and the thrust rings 72, and k I arrange ball bearings '11,.

The stroke plates 9 and y can be. so adjusted that the thrust rings k and k acted on thereby, will be caused to rotate while held at an extreme angle to the shaft 6 and the pistons f will then be caused to operate through their maximum length of stroke.

By adjusting the stroke plates 9 and 9 so that the thrust rings k and 72, have a plane of rotation at a lesser angle to the plane of rotation of the shaft 6 the stroke of the pistons 7 will be correspondingly shortened. Varying the stroke of the pistons enables the compression in the cylinders to be Varied; for example, if a high power is required the stroke may be adjusted to give a high compression, and, if a low power is required or if the engine is running idle, a very short stroke, giving low compression may be obtained.

The'centers If, one at each end of the engine, are so connected through the medium of stirrup links '0 on sleeves o to the thrust rings h if, that, by sliding the sleeve Z, or l, as the case may be, along the shaft the rings h? and k will be altered both asregards angularity to the shaft and distance from the ends of the cylinders thereby controlling both the stroke of the pistons and the compression of the fuel mixture, the compression space being increased, or decreased, correspondingly with the lengthening, or shortening, of the stroke. In order to permit of independent adjustment of the angularity of the stroke plates, the sleeves 22 may be adjustably mounted on the shaft 6.

\ In the examples shown in Figs. 1 to 6 the engine is of the four stroke type with a central distributing valve d. This valve, as

already stated, is a conical self-seating valve and it serves all the cylinders of the engine, the charge being exploded successively in the cylinders a in the order numerically indicated in Fig. 6, each cylinder being used alternately as a power cylinder. The valve 03 is rotated, at the required speed from the shaft 6 by the valve turning gear p comprising a wheel 10 secured on the shaft 6 and meshing with a wheel p on a spindle g in a bearing g and wheel 2 on the opposite end of spindle g, gearing with a wheel p which is connected by a sleeve 10 with the valve d. j a

The ports a to a, leading from the valve face to the cylinders a serve forbothinlet communicate with an exhaust ring .9 and with the cylin-' connect at the proper times der ports.

While I have described and shown an engine with a single central distributing valve it is to be understood that separate'tappet valves for each cylinder could be used and operated by cams, or equivalent, or by any other known valve operating gear or mechanism.

In the example shown in Fig. 5 lubricating and cooling oil is pumped into the center\ of the engine through a passage w to a chamber w from which it escapes into the spaceor passa e 'w between the valve d and the shaft b. i1 also passes from the space Q02 by passages e0 and w into the oil grooves w and w from which it finds its way to the working faces of the valve.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A multi-cylinder engine of the type described having a shaft, angularly movable and rotatable thrust rings, a carrier therefor, a driving sleeve slidably secured on the shaft, means pivotally securing the carrier to the sleeve, a non-rotatable stroke plate freely located between the thrust rings and means for oscillating the stroke plate.

2. A multi-cylinder engine of the type described having a shaft, angularly movable and rotatable thrust rings, a carrier therefor, a driving sleeve slidably secured on the shaft, means pivotally securing the carrier to-the sleeve, a non-rotatable stroke plate freely located between the thrust rings, means for oscillating the stroke plate and means for sliding the sleeve along the shaft.

3. A multi-cylinder engine of the type described having a shaft, angularly movable and rotatable thrust rings, a carrier therefor, a driving sleeve slidably secured on the shaft, means pivotally securing the carrier to the sleeve, a non-rotatable stroke plate freely located between the thrust rings,

'the shaft.

' 5. A multi-cylinder engine of the type described having a shaft, angularly movable and rotatable thrust rings, a carrier therefor, a driving sleeve slidably secured on the shaft, means pivotally securing the carrier. to the sleeve, a non-rotatable stroke plate freely located between the thrust rings, means for oscillating the stroke plate, a second sleeve on the shaft and a stirrup pivotally connected to the said second sleeve and to the carrier.

6. A multi-cylinder engine of the type described having a shaft, two angularly disposed carriers thereon, thrust rings in the carriers, non-rotatable stroke plates in the carriers, means for oscillating the' stroke plates, means pivotally connecting the carriers to the shaft to drive the same and means foradjusting said pivotal connecting means longitudinally of the shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. ALEXANDER MARCUS PAT'ION.

Witnesses:

' ANDREWHAMILTON,

JOHN KNOX. 

